Stewardship
Program Eligibility Requirements
Properties meeting one or both of the following criteria are eligible for Florida's Safe Harbor Program:
- Current or historic use of the property by red-cockaded woodpeckers
- The property has potential red-cockaded woodpecker habitat
Landowner Responsibilities
Landowners agree to maintain or improve foraging and breeding habitat for red-cockaded woodpeckers for the duration of the agreement. Habitat management guidelines include:
- Conduct prescribed fires on a regular or recurring basis
- Manage pine forest stands so that they provide suitable foraging (i.e., age > 30 years) or nesting/roosting habitat (i.e., age > 60 years
- Provide a minimum of 75 acres of foraging habitat for each territory
- Timber harvesting is allowed from August through the end of March in areas containing red-cockaded woodpeckers